


Hey Old Friend

by teakturn



Series: 'Tis the Season [6]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alternian Invasion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, POV Original Character, Prompt Fic, Reconciliation, Tumblr Prompt, friendship breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teakturn/pseuds/teakturn
Summary: After years to grow and learn from their falling out, old friends stumble into each other.
Relationships: Erik Killmonger/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: 'Tis the Season [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580824
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Hey Old Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Anon asks: ok um i know it's probably never gonna be real but if you have time and the desire, wud u write a future HC or drabble or whatever where Fallon and her ex bestie run into each other, but BOTH of them are living their best life and both of them can just forgive each other and wish each other the best, no strings attached? I honestly caped hard for that girl despite her DEEP flaws.

Fallon got her happily ever after. Nicole got unemployment and lost her downtown apartment. Like anyone else humbled to the point of therapy, Nicole moved back in with her parents. That was nice for the first week when they felt sorry for her and left her alone. Soon enough Nicole learned that in their old age her parents had found no other hobby beyond getting in her business.

Nicole printed up business cards and started her own event planning business just to give her a way out of their house. It was nothing like working at the Center. She no longer rubbed elbows with celebrities and royalty. Now Nicole was in a children’s birthday party rut but had high hopes to make the switch into launch parties.

Moving out of her parent’s house came soon after, though she didn’t move far. Her mother was an invaluable client well and Nicole wanted to keep her in her back pocket. She didn’t look up Fallon and Erik. Ever. Not even that night she’d been up late making goodie bags for a 2 years old’s Frozen party. Not even with when Duncan called, for the first time in eighteen months, to ask if she’d heard the news.

“It’s trending on s’fucking Twitter,” when he slurred his midwest accent rounded out the words beyond her Californian comprehension. Nicole understood the gist of the call before Duncan slurs something Nicole can’t decipher.

Fallon and Erik engaged. How ‘bout that?

“Does it matter?” Nicole drawls around the lump in her throat. Her tablet blurred before her eyes, so she squeezed until the burning went away.

“S’pose not.” Duncan sighs and it’s so pitiful Nicole pulls the phone away from her ear.

“Is that all you called to say?” Nicole wondered if he’ll ask how she’s doing? He hadn’t cared when she had a meltdown and destroyed her career in LA. She hadn’t even received a phone call after her fallout with Fallon.

“I guess…”

Nicole hung up. She didn’t see the point in extending that moment any longer. They weren’t friends, probably had never been friends. Maybe they’d bonded over Fallon. It would make sense then, that the first time they speak is to talk about Fallon.

Nicole puts her head down and grinds her way into planning launch parties. She moves again, past LA to a homey apartment on Ocean and Cherry. Long Beach moves to a different beat than LA. There are just as many homeless people unfortunately but the sense of community is unlike anything Nicole could imagine in Downtown LA.

She gets into a routine quickly enough. Grow a client list to rival the one she’d left behind in her hometown. Nicole does _not_ lookup Fallon King. It’s been years now and the sting of how they fell out no longer hurt. It was more… disappointing Going from sisters to nothing at all happened all at once. It was the memory of their friendship that haunted Nicole the most. 

Long Beach was a city of activities and clubs so Nicole joined a club and did a couple of activities. Yoga at the park she liked. Roller derby not so much. There was a record store cafe combo Nicole liked to organize her calendar in. When she noticed how many people in Long Beach had a dog she decided to get a dog.

While tiny Chiuahah/Shih Tsu dogs made her think of the 2000s, bigger dogs were nowhere near Nicole’s speed. She didn’t want a dog that wanted to run and hop all over her. When Nicole explained this to the volunteer at the local shelter they suggested she look into cats.

That was the day she found the love of her life. Legend, a ginger tabby with tiger green eyes, was thicker than the cats in the pens around him and gave off a real prickly vibe. The other cats avoided him entirely. Kittens not smart enough to stay away ended up swatted at viscously. When Nicole crouched to look the cats in the pen over, Legend’s personality became affectionate and loving. He pressed close to the bars to receive scritched and tried to grab at her when she pulled away.

It was easy to see that _this_ was her cat.

Nicole and Legend liked living in Long Beach. Legend didn’t even know who Fallon was. Nicole didn’t talk about her. Nicole didn’t even think about her. She had new friends now. One of them is her assistant but that’s beside the point. Nicole’s moved on.

Nicole’s moved on… but she wonders sometimes.

The wondering starts and it doesn’t stop and now Nicole’s at work, speaking with a client about her launch party.

Mikayla Moss was starting a company and wanted to invite investors to the launch party and fundraise. Nothing Nicole couldn’t pull off flawlessly even while her mind was split between her ex-best friend and the task at hand. She thought she was doing a good job at hiding her distraction until Mikayla paused the meeting to ask, “You good?”

Nicole blinked, “Huh?”

Mikayla smiled. She had a beautiful smile, straight white teeth framed by plump, full lips. With one hand, Mikayla swept the long locs curling over her shoulder away from her face and studied Nicole with honey brown eyes.

“You seem a little distracted? Is everything alright?”

Nicole’s cheeks went hot. Was it that obvious? How unprofessional! Of all the clients to catch her being unattentive Mikayla was the worst. She was too sweet! She’d sus out Nicole’s problem in a heartbeat and Nicole would be powerless to stop her. It was something about Mikayla’s eyes and smile and how warm her hand was whenever she placed it on Nicole’s thigh or rubbed her back. 

“N-no!” Nicole tried to laugh but she couldn’t meet Mikayla’s eyes as she did it, “Let’s just focus on the menu. Are there any dietary restrictions we need to tell the caterer? They’re finalizing the menu this weekend.”

Mikayla didn’t push Nicole, but there was a glint in her eyes that promised she wasn’t done. 

That meeting concluded as successful as all of Nicole’s meetings. She had all the details and nuances she needed to plan an amazing launch party for Mikayla’s event. Before she could leave, Mikayla stopped Nicole with a touch. It wasn’t like she grabbed her or hurt her, but the zing of pleasure that zipped through Nicole’s body at Mikayla’s touch stunned her into silence.

“I was going to get lunch before heading back to the office. You should join me,” Mikayla smiled and her touch became a subtle caress. Just the simple stroking of her thumb against the skin of Nicole’s arm. Yet it was enough to erase all rational thought about boundaries with clients and what a bad idea it’d be to get involved with the person she worked for.

“Y-yes, actually. Sure.” The more Nicole stumbled on her words the wider Mikayla smiled.

“Perfect, I’ll have the valet bring the car around while you pack up.”

After the event, Mikayla raised ten million dollars for her company and Nicole got her first girlfriend. And loads of new contacts and possible clients but that wasn’t as important to her as the fact that she now had a girlfriend! 

Legend, her petty baby, liked very few people but Mikayla was the first person aside from Nicole he allowed to stroke his fur. They didn’t move in together immediately but it didn’t take long for Legend to have his own bowl and litterbox stashed in Mikayla’s sprawling penthouse apartment for long weekends.

They moved faster than any relationship Nicole had ever had before but she was too happy to care. Everything she’d wanted from Erik, Mikayla gave it to her twofold. Love, affection, trust, Mikayla brought it all to their relationship. Nicole had never seen herself falling in love with a woman. She’d never thought about her attraction to women as anything more than an intense affectionate “like” for her sex.

After three months Mikayla started pushing for Nicole to move in with her. Despite the bump in her paygrade since starting her planning business, Nicole refused to get a bigger apartment in a nicer part of town. Mikayla worried about her so close to downtown on her own. This was one of the few arguments they had so it was no surprise that they were having it again while walking along the waterfront.

“Baby I know you worry about your independence,” Mikayla began, her hand tightening around Nicole’s so she can’t tug away, “But I’m not trying to own you. I want to take care of you.”

Nicole’s stomach flipped when Mikayla said that. Pleasure filled her body and the part of her that’d lost her dignity for Erik almost swayed. Almost.

“You do take care of me. And you can keep taking care of me while I live in my apartment,” Nicole beamed at her girlfriend. Mikayla made a face yet couldn’t resist leaning in for a kiss.

“Nicole?” The voice of a ghost stopped them in their tracks.

Twisting her head around her girlfriend, Nicole locked eyes with the last woman she ever expected to see again. “Fallon?”

All happy feelings left Nicole at once, her body felt cold and awkward without the warmth. She didn’t know what her face was doing but she hoped it wasn’t as frozen and stuck as she was on the inside. After all this time she’d finally run into Fallon King. Nicole could throw up she felt so off-kilter. It was like the old parts of her life and the person she’d been had collided with the person she was now.

Mikayla tightened her grip on Nicole’s hand, a soft squeeze that was a reminder that she wasn’t alone in this.

“Uh… hi?” Nicole looked from Fallon to Mikayla and then back. Her eyes snagged on the baby- well, child- on her hip. The little girl couldn’t be older than four years old. It’s been six since she’d last seen Fallon.

Instinctively Nicole began searching the crowd around them for Erik. She refused to be blindsided yet again.

“Hi,” Fallon finally spoke. After a seconds hesitation, she turned to a woman standing next to her and handed her daughter over. The woman, who Nicole guessed was a nanny or something, took the little girl easily and disappeared into the crowd without a word.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Fallon began. Her eyes traveled from Nicole to Mikayla before finally landing on their hands. With a tentative smile, she continued, “You look good… happy.”

It was those words that relaxed her. Nicole didn’t have another wild confrontation in her. She couldn’t be the crazy woman she’d been when they’d fallen out. She refused to be that woman. But this? Nicole could handle this.

“Thank you, I am happy.” as an afterthought Nicole says, “You look good too. Your little girl is adorable?”

Fallon smiles and ducks her chin, the gesture so familiar it feels like a sucker punch to Nicole’s heart. Oblivious to what’s going on inside Nicole’s head, Fallon gushes about her daughter and what an angel she is and how much she’s enjoying motherhood after her whirlwind career change. 

Nicole expects to feel a pang of jealousy. After all, Fallon got the life Nicole tried to destroy herself for. The man, the amazing job, the money. Fallon’s hair was Meghan Markle levels of straight and her skin was glowing. She looked beautiful and unbothered and… changed by the life she’d led after their friendship. And instead of feeling jealous, Nicole felt nothing.

Nicole loved her business, her cat, her girlfriend, and her shitty Long Beach apartment. She loved them because she’d fought for every inch of the life she had. It wasn’t anything like she expected but she wouldn’t give any of it up to lead Fallon’s life. Not a single bit.

“This is my girlfriend, Mikayla. Babe this is an old friend from my old job.” Nicole smiled as she spoke and felt the truth of every word as they left her lips. 

Fallon wasn’t her enemy or nemesis. She was an old friend. They probably won’t see each other again after this, but it meant so much to Nicole to show her ex-friend how far she’d come and what she’d done for herself.

**Author's Note:**

> this wasn't edited. all mistakes are my own.


End file.
